


Reasonable Doubt

by ChokolatteJedi



Category: Chuck (TV), White Collar (TV 2009)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Courtroom Drama, Gen, Neal Caffrey & Bryce Larkin Are Twins, Post-Season/Series 02 (Chuck), Pre-Series (White Collar), Twins
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-06-20
Updated: 2011-06-20
Packaged: 2021-03-12 02:42:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 799
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28878165
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChokolatteJedi/pseuds/ChokolatteJedi
Summary: An alternate beginning
Kudos: 15





	Reasonable Doubt

Neal gets one phone call. They need to be faster than location tracing, in code to confound the police and Feds probably listening, and yet convey the important information. Thankfully, Moz answers.

"You look horrible in orange."

"How did you-"

"Kate told me."

"Not in the mood for a lecture right now."

"Just this once I'll give you a raincheck. Now, do you want me to call-"

"No."

"He'd want to know."

"I don't want him involved."

"Then what do you need?"

"A lawyer willing to show up in court."

"I'll see what I can do."

"Listen, while I'm in here…"

"Of course I'll keep an eye on him."

"Thank you."

"Always, mon frere."

oOo

Peter had just finished giving his testimony, explaining about meeting Caffrey outside the bank where the forged bonds had been cashed, when a paralegal entered and rushed up to the Defense attorney. At least, Peter assumed they were a paralegal — they had been in and out running Defense errands throughout the trial.

After listening to her message, the attorney's grin widened, and Peter had a sudden sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. Anything that made Caffrey's attorney that happy couldn't be good for Peter's case.

The attorney flipped through his binder and then pulled out several pages. Shuffling them together, he nodded at the paralegal. She hurried back out, and the attorney stood. "Before I cross examine Agent Burke, I present Defence exhibit number thirty-one."

The doors in the back opened, and the paralegal returned, trailed by Neal Caffrey. Peter looked back at the Defense table, where Neal Caffrey was undeniably still sitting, then back at the doors. They were in matching grey suits, though their blue shirts were different shades. The new Caffrey's hair was parted down the middle, and slightly longer than the one on trial.

The Caffrey on trial groaned when he saw the newcomer. Over the rising pandemonium in the courtroom, Peter clearly heard him say, "I told him not to call you."

The entering Caffrey smirked and replied, "He didn't. You think I don't read the papers?"

The judge finally banged her gavel and called for order, clearly just as momentarily shocked as the others.

"Your Honor—" the DA began.

"Both counselors approach the bench," the Judge quickly agreed.

As the attorneys approached, the new Caffrey sat in the Defense's empty seat, prompting a brief, furious conversation between the obvious twins. Their voices were too quiet for Peter to catch any words, and the awkward angle kept him from reading their lips. Given their earlier exchange, however, Peter assumed that the one on trial was still upset at the other's presence.

The conference with the judge ended with the DA scowling and the Defense attorney masking a smile. Peter knew he wasn't going to like this.

"Agent Burke," the attorney said, not bothering to reclaim his seat from the second Caffrey. "Please identify the man you spoke to outside of the bank on the day in question."

Peter had already done this for the DA, pointing at Caffrey. Now, he immediately saw the trap. Still, he couldn't not try. "That man right there," he pointed at the Caffrey on trial. As he suspected, the attorney jumped on him.

"Are you testifying that you absolutely, with no shadow of a doubt, spoke to my client, and not his identical twin?" he asked skeptically. "Are you testifying that you can tell the difference between them?"

There was no way that Peter could say that without lying; he'd already noticed that their voices were identical. "I—"

"Are you testifying that your memory is so sharp that even today you can remember which of these two identical twins you _allegedly_ saw for a few minutes several years ago?" he pressed.

Peter glanced at the DA, but he appeared to be busy doing his best not to glare at the new Caffrey. Peter knew that, when it came down to it, his testimony was the clincher. All of their other evidence went towards establishing the bonds as forgeries. There was a bit about Caffrey's fake IDs, but the Defense had successfully objected to most of their other evidence of Caffrey's character as hearsay.

Peter seeing Caffrey outside the bank and then catching him at Kate's locker were the biggest pieces of evidence to tie the forged bonds to Caffrey himself. He had no illusions that the bank clerk who had also ID'd Caffrey would fare any better when recalled. Peter was experienced enough to realize that reasonable doubt had just walked into the courtroom.

"I— I can't," Peter admitted.

oOo

Less than a week later, Neal Caffrey walked out of the courthouse a free man. It took him slightly longer to forgive Bryce for blowing his own cover at the CIA, though. 


End file.
